No Matter How Bad Life Gets, The Nightmares Are Always Worse
by Invisi
Summary: Harry Potter is facing some troubles as Head Auror. When there's only one way to save his family, and the family of an old acquaintance, he can hardly say no... even if that means ruining his daughter's life. Now Lily Potter is stuck in an engagement she never wanted, and being just like her mother, it's going to take some getting used to...
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N: Here's a random story I've just come up with... anyway, I hope you like it. _**

**_Summery: Harry Potter is facing some troubles as Head Auror. When there's only one way to save his family, and the family of an old acquaintance, he can hardly say know... even if that means ruining his daughter's life._**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter._**

**Chapter One**

**The Deal**

Harry Potter was a lot of things. And at this precise moment in time, he was stressed.

The letter from his old classmate lay on his cluttered desk at the Auror office. While the writing was smudged, the meaning was clear and simple; it was a plea for Harry to help.

The trouble had started when Jake Finch-Fletchley, son of Justin Finch-Fletchley, had been cornered by the daughter of a Death Eater. Despite Voldemort's death, a few Death Eaters had eluded capture and set up a secret organisation to complete their lord's aims. Of course, they weren't getting very far; Harry and his team made sure of that.

However, the daughter of this Death Eater- who hoped to become a Death Eater herself- had admired Jake, and continued to ambush him over the weeks that followed. She called their unexpected meetings 'dates', and Jake had been too scared to contradict her. When her father had shown up on the Finch-Fletchley's doorstep, wanting eighteen-year-old Jake to marry his daughter... well, as you could guess, the Finch-Fletchleys had been distraught. The only way they had managed to get out of the arrangement was by lying and telling them Jake was already betrothed.

The Death Eater family, of course, had been furious. They had left the family in peace, but now Justin was writing to Harry, concerned for his family's saftey; and, of course, someone to be Jake's bride. Jake had never really had a girlfriend, so there was no-one to ask. And since Harry was an old colleague, and head of the Auror Office, they had asked Harry if he knew anyone suitable. Someone who could protect themselves and Justin, but at the same time be eligible.

Of course, Harry had made enquiries. Nobody in his Office had accepted the task- they were either to old or already in a relationship or just not up for it. And so, the previous night, Harry had sat down with his wife Ginny and talked. They had talked for hours, and only one thing was left for them to do.

Now Harry sat, unsure of what to write in his letter back to Justin. In the end, he just wrote:

_Justin,_

_Found you someone. Not sure how she'll take the news- I'll come round and discuss it with you later. _

_-Harry P_

He attached it to the leg of his owl, Hedwig, and watched her fly away. Then he sat back on his chair, running his hands through his hair without realising it. He had no idea how he was going to break the news.

After all, how would Lily react to knowing he had arranged her marriage for her?

**XxX**

_**A/N: It's a bit short, I know... oh well. I'll write another chapter now... Please review and tell me what you think. The rest of the chapters are likely to be from Lily's POV from now on, but you never know. **_

_**-Invisi**_


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N: As promised, chapter two. Here we get to see Lily's reaction. Also, Lily is in her sixth year at Hogwarts (she's sixteen)._**

**_Chapter Warnings: just some swearing_**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter_**

**Chapter Two**

**Breaking The News**

Lily lay in her room, staring at the ceiling. Muggle music was playing from the headphones in her ears. She, like her Grandfather, liked Muggle things. However, she wasn't as obsessed- they were useful and cool, not something you needed to investigate.

The family were currently staying in their London home, number twelve Grimmaud Palace. The Potters had three houses- number twelve, Potter Manor and their house in Ottery st. Catchpole. Of all the houses, number twelve was disliked the most and only used when Lily's father needed to be near work.

"LILY!" she heard a voice yell above the volume in her ears, "DAD WANTS YOU!"

Lily sighed and left her iPod on the bed. James sounded pissed off, and that usually meant she had failed to hear him... again. Annoyed but curious (it was only six o'clock, after all- their father wasn't usually home until seven), she clomped down the three flights of stairs to where her older brother stood in the hall. His arms were crossed, his brown eyes narrowed and his expression exasperated.

"Finally!" he said irritably. "I've been yelling you for almost five minutes."

"Yeah, yeah, keep your hair on," Lily snapped back, waving her hand in a vague manner. She knew James hated it when she did that, but she did it anyway- after all, it was her life's goal to annoy James. They had been friends until Lily's second year, when James pulled a prank on Lily and his youngest sibling had never forgiven him.

Lily entered the kitchen and sat down at the table. Her parents were also sat at the table, and Albus was hovering nearby. James walked over and sat on the Kitchen side; Lily saw her mother purse her lips but say nothing.

Lily turned her attention to her father. The middle-aged man seemed stressed- his hair was ruffled (more than normal), there were bags under his eyes and his face was grim. Lily wondered what was going on; luckily, she didn't have to wonder for long.

"Lily," her father said, "I've been having a sort of crisis at work. You want to be an Auror too, when you leave school?" Lily nodded; James and Albus were training to be Aurors themselves, and Lily wanted to follow the family tradition. However, if she didn't, Lily planned to go into Quidditch, just like her mother.

"Well, this is a chance for you to become an Auror early," Harry continued. Lily felt her heart speed up; her father had a mission for her? "An old classmate of mine and his family are under threat from Death Eaters. They only barely managed to escape having their son betrothed to one, but only by telling a huge lie. What they need is someone young, someone who can protect them and act so the Death Eaters don't get suspicious."

Lily grinned. "That sounds _great_, Dad! Thanks so much... I mean, wow!"

"Er, that's not quite all of it..." Harry said. Lily looked at him expectantly, motioning with her hand for him to go on. "They lied to the Death Eaters by saying their son was already Engaged. The Death Eaters, if I know anything, will be watching the family. If they don't see the fiance, they're going to get suspicious... that's where you come in. We need you to pose as their son's bride... and possibly be it if worst comes to worst."

Lily gaped at him, a numb feeling overcoming her. She heard a soft giggle, and looked up to see James sniggering, his eyes shining with tears of laughter.

"You're kidding, right?" he asked, still laughing. "You've arranged for Lils... to get married... without her permission? Ha, Lily, can't you just see yourself as a bride?"

Lily got to her feet. "Shut up," she muttered through gritted teeth.

"What was that?" James asked, cupping his hand to his ear, as if he couldn't hear. "I can't hear you!"

"I said, _shut up_," Lily snapped, more clearly this time.

"No can do," James said, still laughing.

Lily felt anger rising in her stomach. _How dare they?_ She wasn't about to be a stranger's wife, even if it was technically a con. She clenched and unclenched her fists by her side; James, oblivious, continued to poke fun. Letting out a screech of anger and annoyance, Lily darted forwards, grabbed a chair and flung it across the room at James. Her brother ducked and it missed him by inches, instead hitting the cupboards and falling to the floor in a clatter. Lily turned and stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

Meanwhile, back in the kitchen, Harry was rubbing his temples as he commented, "She took it rather well, don't you think?"

**_xXx_**

**_A/N: You know the usual stuff... review!_**

**_-Invisi_**


	3. Chapter 3

**_A/N: I'm back with chapter three! Thanks to jennyellen for your review, and no thanks to trollspam for your, well, spam. _**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter._**

**Chapter Three**

**The Meeting**

A few days after Harry had broken the news to Lily- who spent most of this time sulking in her room- the Potters were due at the Finch-Fletchley's house for dinner, and so Jake and Lily could meet each other.

Lily, however, had other plans.

"Lily!" Harry called softly as he opened the door. Inside the room the curtains were drawn, the bed was unmade and Lily Potter lay on her bed, eyes closed and headphones in her ears. Her long, straight ginger hair was a mess as if it hadn't been brushed for days- which it hadn't.

"Lily!" Harry snapped, annoyed now, and yanked the headphones out of Lily's ears. The teen's brown eyes snapped open, and saw his annoyed face staring down at her.

"Yes?" she asked in a dull, hollow voice. "Is there something you wanted?"

"I want you to get ready!" Harry snapped. "We have to be there in an hour!"

"I'm not going," Lily said, in a voice that didn't invite an argument. harry sighed, scowling.

"Lily, you're going, and that's that!"

"Fine," she sighed, sliding off the bed and standing up. Her hair was a mess, her t-shirt was stained, her jeans were too big and she wore odd socks. "I'll go as I am now."

"No, you wont," Harry said sternly. "It's a formal meeting; that means you dress formal. And if you don't comply, I'll get your mother to come help you."

"Fine!" Lily groaned. "Just get out of my room, okay?" She shoved him out of the room and slammed the door in his face. Then she looked in the mirror and groaned again.

**XxX**

Lily came downstairs. Her family were waiting for her; her father in his suit, her mother in a dove-grey evening dress, and her brothers both in suits. James looked as if he wanted to burst out laughing; Lily shot him a glare that read _laugh and you die._

"Oh, sweetheart!" her mother gasped, "You look amazing!" Catching sight of herself in the hallway mirror, Lily couldn't help but feel a glimmer of pride. After all, when a girl goes four days without caring it's pretty hard to work your way back up to 'presentable', let alone 'formal'. Her long red hair was curled and styled, falling over her shoulder. The dress she wore was also red, and embedded with tiny fake jewels that made it shimmer in the light. She'd also tried wearing high-heels, but had chosen to stick with flats. Though Lily could make herself pretty, she hated anything too girly. This outfit was already out of her taste.

The five of them all used the Floo to reach the home of the Finch-Fletchley's. Lily was the last to go, and found herself in a hallway of an ordinary house. There was a fireplace in the wall, which looked quite odd. She could hear voices coming from a room opposite; Ginny stood by the half-open door. Seeing her daughter, she took Lily's hand and led her into the room.

Beside her father and brothers, in the room (which appeared to be a living room) were stood a middle-aged man with neat brown hair, a golden-haired woman with warm brown eyes and a gold dress and a boy about her own age, maybe a couple of years older. He wore a suit just like the other men, and had neat brown hair like his father's. His eyes were bright brown, rather like Lily's. He was laughing at something someone had just said, when he spotted her and fell silent. In fact, the whole room turned to stare at her.

"Ah, Justin," Harry said, "This is my daughter, Lily. Lily, this is Justin, his wife Marion and their son, Jake."

Lily scowled, folding her arms. Her mother nudged her and shot her a warning glance as if to say, _don't do that!_ but Lily ignored her.

"Hello," she said frostily, and everyone shivered. If there was one thing Lily Potter knew how to do, it was how to be convincing.

"Hello, Lily," the middle-aged man that Harry had introduced as Justin said nervously. "Yes, this is Jake..." his voice trailed away awkwardly. "Yes. Well." They stood in awkward silence for a moment before it was broken by Marion.

"Does anybody want tea? Tea, Justin? Yes. Harry, Ginny? Okay, what about you boys. Do you want tea?" She turned to Lily. "Would you like some tea, dear?"

"No, thank you," Lily said, still icily polite. "I don't drink tea."

"Neither do I!" Jake said, as if it were some great coincidence. In a way, it was, but Lily wasn't bothered. She shot him a cold glare and he shut up at once.

As Marion hurried away to the kitchen to get tea orders, a girl came into the room. She looked a couple of years older than Lily, with golden hair like Marion's and hazelish-coloured eyes. She was wearing a red dress and scowling, arms folded.

"Oh, Harry, this is my youngest, my daughter Eva. Eva, these Harry Potter, his wife Ginny, and their children, James, Albus and Lily."

Eva glared at her father, silencing him. Lily could tell Eva was rather like herself; determined, and not afraid to get what she wanted. As Marion came in and handed everyone their tea, Eva turned on her heel (she was wearing proper high heels, Lily noticed) and left. Glancing at each other, Albus and James seemed to come to an unspoken agreement before following her.

After about ten minutes, Harry and Justin had gone to the dining room to discuss 'things', Ginny and Marion had gone to the kitchen to talk about 'girl stuff' and their siblings still hadn't returned. Lily and Jake were left in an awkward silence; Jake looking at his hands and Lily rocking back and forth on her heels.

"Uh, you can sit down if you like," Jake said, gesturing to one of the fleecy blue sofas. Grateful for something to do, and that the silence had been broken, Lily perched on the edge of the seat. Jake sat down also, and reached over to the coffee table to pull the lid off a jar shaped like a teddy-bear. From inside he pulled a chocolate biscuit. "Help yourself," he offered.

Lily looked closely at the biscuits for a minute, before choosing a chocolate-chip and toffee-chunk cookie. Jake laughed.

"Those are my favourites," he said.

"Mine too!" Lily said, surprised. Jake grinned.

"Wow, a load of scary coincidences, wouldn't you say?"

"Not really. I don't think food preferences count as 'coincidences'."

Jake shrugged. "Guess not. My family don't believe in coincidences. They say it's fate."

Lily nodded. "Mine, too. But they should do."

Jake smiled. "Now that _is_ a coincidence."

Lily laughed. "I guess so."

**XxX**

_**A/N: Hope you enjoyed it, and I'll appreciate any reviews. **_

_**As for Lily and Jake... well, I quite enjoy writing their conversation. Lily's icy and determined, but Jake's friendly and trusts too easy... and yet, hear they are, having a discussion about coincidences. Well, it's one of the better ways to start a friendship, I suppose. **_

_**-Invisi**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note**

_**Okay, so I have a load of stories going and I've decided to put this story up for adoption. I haven't updated in a long time and I don't really have a feel for this story any more. If you'd like to take over this story, let me know via PM or review. I will PM you the epilogue (which I have written out) and you can let me know whether you want it posted on your account or mine. **_

_**Sorry for those who liked this story, I just don't have time for it any more. **_

_**Best regards, **_

_**Invisi**_


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